Ford is slowly refreshing its light commercial vehicle lineup in Europe but it seems that the US market is sticking with the firm’s older products for the time being. In fact, the Transit Connect van is facing an uncertain future as a new report indicates it could be discontinued at the end of next year.
Automotive News has a new article based on insider information from “three people with knowledge” who claim Ford has changed its initial plan to build the next-gen Transit Connect in Mexico. Codenamed V758, the model would have been developed on the same architecture that underpins the Maverick and Bronco Sport and manufactured at Ford’s Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico.
Gallery: 2019 Ford Transit Connect Wagon
However, the automaker has reportedly changed its mind and has decided to discontinue the Transit Connect after 2023 when production for the US market in Mexico will be stopped. For now, it is unclear whether the van will get a direct successor or Ford will simply try to migrate future potential customers to its larger Transit vans. As a side note, the full-size Transit is now also available with a fully-electric powertrain.
Ford’s LCV strategy in Europe is vastly different. The Blue oval company launched a brand new generation Tourneo Connect just recently, which is basically a rebadged and slightly reengineered version of the Volkswagen Caddy. All the hardware is shared between the two, including the turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines. Ford calls these units EcoBoost and EcoBlue, respectively, though they are essentially Volkswagen’s TSI and TDI four-cylinder engines.
The New Tourneo Connect For Europe:
Ford is also testing a plug-in hybrid version of the new Tourneo Connect and is working on a cargo version of the same model. It seems, however, that none of these light commercial vehicles will be sold in the United States. The new Ranger truck, though, will be available in America, but the mechanically related VW Amarok will be sold only in Europe.
Source: Automotive News